Tahaan revisited

Birbalaaa.....ho hohoh..,,(echoes an 8-year old) and a soothing background score with a kind of rustic feeling is on. Starts Tahaan, the movie...A movie filled with the picturesque of the locales of the awe-inspiring valley of Kashmir, those wooden shacks, tiny huts, people busy weaving bamboo stuff, and mostly-seen pets --donkeys---all of this just takes you to another world, where there is peace and a cool breeze, sans the tension part.

Before more on this classic tale of dedication, a few glances at this child actor, Purav Bhandare (Tahaan). His eyes are damn talkative, and he is just another actor in the making. Darsheel (Safary) of Taare Zameen Par fame (he also has a gf, for who doesn't know) has that naughtyness in his attitude, but Purav says it all through his eyes (that love, confidence and never-say-die attitude for his donkey--Birbal-is something that one can't miss out on throughout the film). In the beginning, when he gets angry on his grandfather (Victor Banerjee) and is not in talking terms with Abba (he calls him so). The plot builds up. Grandfather is telling a story, Tahan's elder sister, Zoya, is listening, Haba (Sarika, Tahaan's mother) is making a oval bundle out of wool for knitting purpose. And, Tahaan forgets his anger and gets close to his grandfather as the story unfolds. Here, the way Purav does the whole shot is something like --you just can't take your eyes off the screen when he is on it.

That's the subtle work by the one of the best cinematographers of the country --Santosh Sivan--if not anything--the way he has captured the locales with every minute details is something that a not-so-filmy person can take notice of. It's like he has made the valleys talk and walk along with the characters.

Tahaan gets drawn towards violence without an idea of the very existence of its existence, but his eyes (again take notice of it), he makes it clear that it's just his dedication to get his beloved friend, Birbal (a donkey), whom he adores, loves, even scolds for being careless about life (the first voice-over--when he spots Birbal after searching for him amidst the valleys, he says that the donkey's carelessness wouldn't get the doneky a chance to enter the school).

It came sometime in 2008, and just vanished from the theatres (I also can't recall; when did it come, CAN YOU?), and critics said that it was not a mass-market release, while the problem was with the film's marketing. Yes, how can I be so sure? I watched it sometime in 2009, of course, it was again Purav's eyes and Mr Sivan's name, and Kashmir that persuaded me to buy the VCD. I watched it back-to-back thrice. And then I read the reviews, reports on its box-office success but was utterly disappointed. And mostly, I got to read that it's not a mass-market movie. I thought probably, I feel it's mass-market, but I couldn't sit over it. I let 8 people whom I know have varied choice on watching films by lending that VCD. And, you won't believe the responses that I got--two words--A MUST WATCH. There you go!!!True, that I tested it with a negligible audience but it's a movie worth watching.

It's about the determination and to let bonding prevail, no matter what happens. The journey of a Kashmiri kid to get his donkey back, that also involves those terror-stricken encounters that even kids have to face there, is something that relates to many in the lost crowd.

I was doing a story (non-journos, read article) on children's films in India, during the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on July 17, 2009, and I spoke to some of the film-makers who have made films for kids, or kids as the theme/central character. How could I complete the story without taking Mr Sivan's opinion (after watching Tahaan), as I so wanted to know if the film was made for the mass-market from the director's mouth. And he said, the first thing, "It's not a children's film. It's a movie for all. Tahaan, sans songs (only one Kashmiri song), is a film that can be seen with different perspectives, and thus has a niche audience. It rocked various festivals. Among other awards, Tahaan also received the best film, European UNICEF award in Greece. It was sold in 11 countries and major satellite networks."

The projection of life behind the mountains--where all those activities take place, and where they reside--again Tahaan sees through the mountains when he decides to step out without informing Moujee (his mom, Haba, played by Sarika), he at glance portrays his fear, courage, illusions and determination in that one look. As they are the same, behind which his father went missing three years back. Yes, if nothing else, it is a movie to watch to enjoy the wonderful cinematography if nothing else. But Tahaan's expressions are also something that one should go for.

As they say, "All for love. Here, it's all for the love of a donkey". Tahaan did get his donkey back, and Birbal also wanted to come back to Tahaan. So if you haven't checked out this one yet, hurry up!!!I'm sure, you would just fall for Tahaan. So did I, as a visual of the film was my wallpaper for more than 6 months till I left that office.

At times, donkeys get so important in life!!!!!!!